


just a friend to you

by EnigmaticEllipsis, fictionalinfinity



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrinette | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Attempt at Humor, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Marriage, Post-Reveal Pre-Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, prpr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:08:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28414407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnigmaticEllipsis/pseuds/EnigmaticEllipsis, https://archiveofourown.org/users/fictionalinfinity/pseuds/fictionalinfinity
Summary: “If you think about it… it’s been longer than it seems. We’ve been married for a year, and partners for a lot longer. Now, it doesn’t have to be immediately,” Adrien added to reassure her, noticing just how tense she was sitting across from him, “but I’d like to discuss having a baby.”Marinette choked on the bit of chicken in her mouth, spluttering in surprise. In his haste to check on her, Adrien almost toppled his chair over.“Are you alright?!”Marinette coughed once, twice, and then a third time before offering him a weak nod. “Fine. I’m fine.”Adrien slowly lowered himself back into his seat, watching his wife closely for any further signs of trouble. After taking a long sip of wine, her eyes turned to him.“Are you sure you don’t want a… hamster, or something?”
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 38
Kudos: 152





	just a friend to you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CelestialTitania](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelestialTitania/gifts).



> This was supposed to be crack. We ended somewhere between angst and sadness. Please, enjoy.
> 
> For Fay, who's chaotic prompt started it all.

In the months following his marriage to Marinette, Adrien had finally taken the chance to learn how to cook properly. It required lots of patience on his wife’s end and failures on his own, but after a long year, Adrien finally felt he was finally capable of creating a decent dinner. 

That evening found Adrien putting his newfound skills to good use. Marinette had been out with Alya for the afternoon. He planned to surprise her with a home cooked meal upon her return. 

Coincidentally, it also proved to be a good opportunity to bring up something that had been on his mind lately.

Adrien had been married to Marinette for almost a year, and not once had the subject of children been discussed. Children hadn’t often been on his mind as a hyperactive teenage superhero. However, now that their lives had found a comfortable routine and the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous were kept securely in the Miracle box, Adrien found that he had plenty of time to ponder such things. 

He couldn’t help but imagine a tiny little thing with rosy cheeks and bouncy curls. Wide, innocent eyes looking up at him with a wealth of trust and love. Tiny little fists grabbing at his fingers, and a smile that could light up a room. Someone who was both a part of himself and Marinette. Someone whom he could shower with love and dedicate his life to. 

Adrien hoped he wasn’t alone in this desire. With Marinette’s kind nature and tender love, he knew she would make  _ such _ a good mother. Adrien recalled the way she had held him together after discovering the true identity of Hawkmoth. The way her touch and soothing words of assurance had kept him from shattering like glass under the feelings of mounting pressure and desperation and  _ loss. _

Marinette was the best thing that had ever happened to Adrien, and he wanted to take the next step with her. 

Tonight, he was going to ask her if she’d have a baby with him. 

The sound of a timer ringing on his phone shook him from his thoughts. With a quick glance around the kitchen and a passing attempt to shut the noise off, Adrien removed the steaming potatoes from the oven. He’d seasoned them with Marinette’s favorite herbs and planned to serve them with a simple white-wine chicken. Adrien hadn’t mastered the science of baking yet, though, so he’d purchased some eclairs for dessert at the Dupain-Cheng bakery. 

Adrien carefully placed the dishes of food on their little dining room table, lighting a set of candles and setting out the dinnerware. He was grateful for the small set-up that left them within arms reach of each other. It had been Marinette’s idea to keep things close yet comfortable, one of her many subtleties that worked wonders to soothe his anxieties. He hadn’t eaten alone in months. 

Just as he’d set everything right, Adrien heard the sound of the front door of their apartment unlock. He quickly forgot about the food in favor of greeting his wife. 

“I’m home!” Marinette called, hanging her purse on the little hook by the door. “Oh, did you cook? It smells wonderful in here!”

“Welcome home,” Adrien smiled, pressing a tender kiss to the corner of her mouth. Marinette blinked in surprise a few times before giving him a small smile. He couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of a blush blooming on her cheeks. She hadn’t quite acclimated to his shows of affection yet. 

They walked into the little dining room together a moment later, and Adrien made sure to pull out Marinette’s seat for her. She smiled gratefully. 

“Wine?” Adrien offered, holding up the bottle for her to see. Marinette nodded excitedly as she gestured to her glass.

“Yes, please. Alya was talking my ear off all afternoon about her new project. I need to relax a bit,” Marinette giggled. Adrien could only imagine how much Marinette had listened to. He made sure to top her glass off with a little extra before pouring his own. 

“I hope the two of you had fun, at least?”

“Oh, absolutely. There’s never a dull moment with her. She thinks Nino is going to propose soon, actually.”

“Oh?” Adrien hummed as he took a sip from his glass. He hadn’t yet heard anything on that front from Nino, but Alya always had a knack for those sorts of things. He didn’t doubt that he’d be hearing news of their engagement soon. 

“Mhmm. If she wasn’t talking about her project, she was theorizing about how he planned to propose! It’s exciting.”

They continued to talk about their afternoons while Adrien plated the food for them. He learned that Marinette had picked him up a new pair of socks since his last remaining set had gone mysteriously missing. In return, Adrien told her about his cooking endeavours. 

A few bites into the food, Marinette’s face lit up. “You’ve come a long way in such a short time! I’m proud of you, Adrien.”

Adrien blushed at her words before realizing they offered him a good segue into the point he wanted to address. 

“If you think about it… it’s been longer than it seems. We’ve been married for a year, and partners for a lot longer. Now, it doesn’t have to be immediately,” Adrien added to reassure her, noticing just how tense she was sitting across from him, “but I’d like to discuss having a baby.”

Marinette choked on the bit of chicken in her mouth, spluttering in surprise. In his haste to check on her, Adrien almost toppled his chair over. 

“Are you alright?!”

Marinette coughed once, twice, and then a third time before offering him a weak nod. “Fine. I’m fine.”

Adrien slowly lowered himself back into his seat, watching his wife closely for any further signs of trouble. After taking a long sip of wine, her eyes turned to him.

“You want… to have a baby?”

Her tone left Adrien unsettled. He frowned a bit before nodding.

“Well… I’d like to discuss it with you, yes. We’ve never really talked about kids before, and I figured it was time. This doesn’t have to be an immediate thing if you want to wait. We’re just having a conversation, I promise.”

Marinette stared at him with wide eyes, her mouth forming a softly shaped ‘o’. Adrien found himself growing more and more tense the longer she stared at him in silence. Had he made a mistake? Overstepped, somehow?

Finally, she spoke.

“Are you sure you don’t want a… hamster, or something?”

That… wasn’t what he’d expected. “A h-hamster?”

Marinette nodded. “Children are a serious commitment, Adrien. I just don’t know, I…”

“If you’re not ready, Marinette, it’s okay. And if you’re never ready, that’s okay too. I just wanted to discuss it, that’s all,” Adrien tried to smile, ignoring the hollow feeling of disappointment settling in his stomach. 

“No, that’s not it at all!” Marinette scrambled, surprising him. He stared at her, waiting for her to continue. “I want kids. I’ve  _ always _ wanted kids. I just,” she stopped, clearing her throat.

“I’m sorry Adrien. I just wanted to have them in a  _ romantic _ relationship.” 

A pregnant silence hung over them for a moment.

And then another.

And another.

And another.

And Adrien just kept desperately hoping he could make sense of  _ what the hell had just happened.  _

Were they not in a romantic relationship? They were _married_. They _had_ to be in one, right? Unless…

Did she want a divorce? But...  _ why _ ? They were a team, and they’d always been able to work through their problems together. Had her feelings changed? That… wasn’t entirely implausible. He thought they were going strong but… maybe the feeling wasn’t mutual. Maybe  _ his love  _ for her was no longer mutual. 

His heart pounded in his chest as the silence stretched out. 

“What brought this on? I mean, why wouldn’t we be in a romantic relationship?” Adrien finally prompted, twisting his hands together in anticipation. 

He couldn’t think of anything he’d done wrong, after all. He was sure he hadn’t neglected any of his responsibilities around the house, and Marinette didn’t seem like the kind to want a divorce without talking about it, either. 

Marinette took his hand in hers, rubbing her thumb across his knuckles in reassurance. “Adrien, it’s not that I don’t love you. I do. I’ve been in love with you for  _ years _ ,” she replied, meeting his eyes. “It’s just, I would never want to move forward without making sure  _ you’re _ comfortable. But my feelings haven’t changed since I confessed.”    


  
Adrien remembered that night crystal clear. Finding out his Lady was  _ Marinette _ had been one of the greatest days of his life; he hadn’t thought  _ anything _ could top that. But then she confessed that she was in love with  _ him,  _ and he’d never felt so elated in his life. 

“Oh. Why haven’t you brought this up before? I’d love to move forward with you. I love you,” he responded in earnest. 

“You remember the night I proposed, right?” Marinette carefully asked as she glanced around the room.

Adrien nodded. “Of course I do.”

A few months after the reveal, they defeated Hawkmoth and discovered who he was -- none other than Gabriel Agreste himself.

-

_ “I- what am I supposed to  _ do _?” he choked out. “I mean, am I just, supposed to go back there? I can’t-” Adrien cut off, tugging at his hair in distress. _

_  
_ _  
_ _ “Hey, I’m here for you. I’ll get you out of there. I’ll keep you safe.” Marinette put a hand on his shoulder, grounding him. She wound her other hand into his hair, gently working her fingers through it, and he leaned into her touch.  _

_  
_ _  
_ _ “But  _ how _ , Marinette? I can’t just run away, and it’s not like we’re married or anything. I don’t have anywhere to go, and that’s- I  _ live _ with him. I don’t have anything to fall back on.” _

_ Marinette paused for a moment, furrowing her brows. “There has to be some way…” Marinette mumbled. “What if… no, that wouldn’t work.” How was he supposed to get out of this? He desperately hoped Marinette could think of a way.  _

_ ‘ _ What if I  _ can’t _ escape?’  _ he worried. His breath was stuck in his throat, his heart was racing out of his chest, and everything  _ hurt _. As Marinette tried to think of a solution, Adrien focused on her soft touch to steady his breathing.  _

_ Adrien felt a gentle tap on his shoulder, bringing him out of his thoughts. Marinette’s eyes shly met his own, sparkling with a plan. “Hey, Adrien?” she whispered lovingly.  _

_ He hummed in response. “Yes, Marinete?”  _

_ “Let’s do it. Let’s get married.”  _

_  
_ _  
_ _ “W-what? Are you serious?” Adrien stared at her in astonishment.  _

Does she really mean-

_  
_ _  
_ _ “Absolutely. Adrien, Chat Noir, the best partner I could  _ ever  _ ask for, will you marry me?” Marinette dropped down to one knee and took his hands in her own.  _

_  
_ _  
_ _ Adrien smiled tearily and brought her hands to his lips, gently kissing her knuckles. “Yes! My Lady, yes, of course! Thank you, so much!” he cried out in joy. Of  _ course  _ she found a way. How could he ever doubt his Lady?  _

__  
_  
_ __ “Of course, Adrien. I love you,” she proclaimed as she wrapped him in her arms. “Hey, we’re going to be okay. We’ll get married, and he can’t hurt you. It’ll be okay. Promise.” 

_ They got married as soon as they could and officially moved in together to a nice place they could call  _ theirs _. A home.  _

-

“I…” Marinette began, heaving a sigh. “You were hurting so badly. I didn’t think any of what happened  _ meant _ anything. You were my first priority, Adrien. You always have been. I had to put away my feelings for you, but never doubt that I always have… always  _ will _ love you.”

Marinette’s words knocked the breath out of him. For a moment, all Adrien could do was sit there, stunned, as tears welled up behind his eyes. 

_ “Marinette,” _ Adrien breathed the name like a prayer. In front of him, Marinette chewed on her lips nervously. 

“You did that… for me?” He choked on the thick feeling in his throat. 

_ All the more reason to love this woman. _

Marinette nodded shyly. 

“Although to hear it out loud I feel a bit… silly. Like, we’re  _ married. _ You kiss me,  _ frequently. _ Ohhh, Adrien! I’m so sorry. How could I have not realized?!” Marinette whined, burying her flaming cheeks in her hands. If it weren’t for the seriousness of the situation, Adrien might’ve laughed. 

The whole thing was, well… ridiculous. But that was besides the point. 

“You were trying your best,” Adrien comforted, reaching a hand across the table to lay over hers. “And I was too caught up in my own hurt to realize we weren’t living out this marriage properly. I’m sorry too, Marinette.”

In an instant, Marinette filled with confidence and took his hand in hers. “You don’t have to apologize to me. What happened last year was  _ awful. _ I don’t blame you for… whatever this was. We got our signals crossed,” Marinette motioned with her hands to form some sort of jumble. Adrien giggled at her accuracy, before wilting a bit. 

“It would seem we’ve both been a bit foolish.”

“Yeah…” Marinette sighed. As his heart weighed heavy in his chest, Adrien couldn’t help but wonder if there was a way to… reset. 

Then, it clicked. Sitting up straight, Adrien cleared his throat. 

“Hi, I’m your husband, Adrien. I’m desperately in love with you. Would you like to go on a date with me?”

Marinette stared at him for a moment, eyes wide and glistening, before softening. 

“Hi, Adrien,” Marinette smiled through her tears, “I’m your wife, Marinette. I’m desperately in love with you too, and I’d be thrilled to go on a date with you.”

The pair of them grinned at each other for a moment, reveling in their company. Sure, they’d apparently both made quite a few mistakes in the past year. But now, they had all the time in the world to make up for it. 

Adrien wanted to start right that very minute. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to the [Miraculous Fanworks Server](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks) for their endless encouragement and love of Miraculous. We really appreciate all of your support!


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